Rice and Black Bean Salad with Cumin Dressing

Turmeric, the ground spice that makes curry powder yellow, colors the rice in this main-dish salad. Parboiled rice is treated so that the starch in the grain is gelatinized, resulting in separate grains. Don't use instant, or precooked, rice in it's place.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• Rice:
• 1  teaspoon  vegetable oil
• 1 1/2  cups  uncooked long-grain parboiled rice (such as Uncle Ben's converted rice)
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground turmeric
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 3 1/3  cups  water
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1  cup  frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped green onions
• 1/4  cup  chopped cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1  (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 
  Dressing:
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 6  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 2  tablespoons  water
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 
  Topping:
• 2  cups  thin wedges plum tomato (about 4 tomatoes)
• 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt

Preparation

To prepare rice, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rice; cook 1 minute. Stir in turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Add 3 1/3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; uncover and cool to room temperature. Add corn and next 6 ingredients (corn through black beans).

To prepare dressing, heat 1 teaspoon cumin in a small nonstick skillet over low heat for 30 seconds or just until fragrant. Remove from heat. Stir in 6 tablespoons lime juice and the next 4 ingredients (lime juice through garlic). Stir into rice mixture.

To prepare topping, combine tomato, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place rice mixture on a serving platter; spoon tomato topping over rice.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

365 (22% from fat)

Fat:

8.9g (sat 0.8g,mono 4.7g,poly 2.7g)

Protein:

9.3g

Carbohydrate:

63.3g

Fiber:

6.7g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

3.5mg

Sodium:

468mg

Calcium:

57mg